Capitol Hill Visit Day

The results are in! We lobbied on four issues during the Capitol Hill Visit Day. Two of the issues—banks in real estate and leasehold improvements—had related bill numbers that allowed participants to ask their legislators to support when they met with them on April 25. For those two issues, during the two weeks following the meetings, we tracked the sponsorships of the 226 legislators to see if they became cosponsors of the bills.

In regards to property/ casualty/ terrorism insurance and climate change/ energy, participants proactively lobbied on these two issues. As of April 25, the day of the Capitol Hill Visit, there were no related bills we strongly supported moving in either chamber. The outlook for these issues is described below:

2007 Capitol Hill Visit Day Results

• Banks in real estate: Soon after IREM and CCIM Institute members met with their legislators, six representatives (Mica from Florida, Westmoreland from Georgia, Walberg from Michigan, Kennedy from Rhode Island, Doggett from Texas, and Cannon from Utah) became cosponsors of HR 111 and two senators, Saxby Chambliss (GA) and Paul Sarbanes (MD), became cosponsors of S 413. Currently, there are 225 representatives cosponsoring HR 111 and 21 senators cosponsoring S 413.

Note: Many of the Representatives and Senators that IREM and CCIM Institute members met with during the Capitol Hill Visit Day were already cosponsors of HR 111 or S 413. As such, members thanked them for their ongoing support.

• Leasehold Improvements: IREM and CCIM Institute members lobbied in support of HR 1591, an appropriations bill that included a leasehold improvement provision. Unfortunately, HR 1591 was vetoed by the president on May 1, this year. The House vote (222 to 203) to override the veto fell short of the 2/3 vote (290) required.
• Property/Casualty/Terrorism Insurance: Legislation extending the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) is expected to be introduced this summer. The House Financial Services subcommittee held a hearing on Tuesday, April 24, the day before the IREM and CCIM Institute Capitol Hill Visit Day. Representative Barney Frank and Senator Christopher Dodd strongly support making TRIA permanent and have predicted Congress will act to extend TRIA before the end of 2007 when the federal backstop is set to expire.
• Climate Change/Energy: IREM and CCIM Institute legislative staff is screening legislation regarding energy and climate change as it introduced to see if such legislation would provide positive incentives for real estate professionals to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

 Secretary Treasurer, Kevin Grail
 Reports from Capital Hill

Dear IREM friends,

I recently had the good fortune to attend the IREM Leadership and Legislative Summit in Washington D.C.

There are many meetings and events we attend in our professional lives, mostly because we are obligated to attend for work reasons. This conference is different because the participants are there voluntarily. IREM members came from all over the world to be there.

If you have not attended a national IREM event, you are missing out on a fantastic member benefit. Attendees get to know top CPMs from all over while attending meetings and conferences that help to shape our organization and the property management industry in every way.

For example, I attended the Journal of Property Management (JPM) Advisory Board meeting. I am not a member of the board, and no reservation was needed. I simply showed up at the scheduled meeting time and was readily invited into the group. My input on a new cover design and on upcoming content was sought and given considerable attention. In other meetings, I also found the groups to be fun and receptive to my thoughts.

The following day we participated in round-table discussions where various topics were proposed by a moderator then discussed among the IREM members at each table. After a few minutes, each table would select a representative to move to a microphone and describe their table’s best thoughts on the proposed subject. In this way, within the span of a few minutes, we heard the best ideas from over 300 industry leaders on various topics. There is no way you can leave such a session without taking some valuable ideas home.

That evening we were entertained by the famous political satire group, The Capitol Steps, which was followed immediately by dancing and general merriment.

On Wednesday, hundreds of us went to Capitol Hill to discuss issues we had been prepped on in prior meetings. At 9:00 AM, our group from Florida had coffee with Senator Bill Nelson, watched him being interviewed by Fox News, and had individual pictures taken with him.

From there, half of our Florida group went to face-to-face meetings with Congressman Bill Young from Tampa and then to a meeting with John Mica from Orlando. These meetings each lasted about a half-hour with five of us in each meeting. Later in the day, we had three more meetings with staff aides from Corrine Brown, Tom Feeney, and Ric Keller’s offices.

The city was really beautiful with many cherry blossoms in bloom and had perfect weather. It was an amazing experience that I want to repeat again. For more details on this fantastic trip, visit www.irem.org.

 Are You Prepared When Disaster
 Strikes? (Part 1)

By Scott McCurdy
Coastal Reconstruction, Inc.

As June 1 has come and gone and now that the start of hurricane season is upon us, what are you doing to get your property and company ready for it? You need to have a plan! First, know your company’s protocol in handling disasters and know all local FEMA and emergency telephone numbers. Have a charged cell phone available at all times. Know which of your residents have special needs or who are handicapped and may require additional help or refrigerated medications. Determine what power needs your property’s office may have, and buy a generator to meet those needs. Establish a relationship with a disaster contractor who understands how to deal with insurance companies and has dealt with disasters of this magnitude before. And know your insurance coverage. Hurricane deductibles are different than those for other losses. Know how your company wants you to submit claims and who at your insurance company to contact. Have a copy of your emergency manual at your home in case you can’t get into the office. I hope and pray that we will all be safe this next hurricane season!

For more information on disaster preparedness, visit www.coastalreconstruction.net to set up a disaster seminar for your company or to get a copy of “The Top 25 Things We Need to Know”. 

 Bring a Friend

We strongly encourage when attending an IREM meeting to bring a friend. It can be an old member or a new member. New member orientations will be held 30 minutes before scheduled meetings. We look forward to seeing new faces! Lets continue in helping to spread the word on IREM! 

 IREM Friends List

 Calendar of Events

 July Luncheon Meeting

"MID YEAR INDUSTRY FORECAST"
Panel of experts on apartments, office, and retail

Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Speaker: Gary Ralston, CPM, Florida Retail Development
Robin Stinson, CPM and President of Urban Property Partners
Catherine Reeves, Director of Leasing, Highwoods Properties
Time: Registration begins at 11:30 AM, and lunch is served at 12:00 PM
Location: Sheraton Orlando Downtown – 60 S. Ivanhoe Blvd., Orlando, FL
Cost for both members & non-members if registered by July 6th : $30
Price with no reservation or invoiced: $35

Get the latest updates on the trends and forecasts for the remainder of 2007. Our panel of experts have first-hand knowledge of what's happening in the current market and what we should expect of the next six months and into 2008. This program is always a must for our members and guests, and it is very timely going into our budget season. Get your answers now to help prepare for 2008.

Bring as many guests as you'd like; they're always welcome.

REGISTER & PAY ONLINE NOW AT: www.irem60.org
Click on the "Events" link. 

 IREM Courses

IREM MEMBERS: We have two courses scheduled back to back for your convenience. The MNT402 and FIN402 courses will be held in Ft. Lauderdale at the NOVA Southeastern University on July 24 & 25 and July 26 & 27 respectively. Register now by calling or online at IREM Headquarters. Details on both courses are outlined below.

NEW! Property Maintenance and Risk Management – (MNT402) Ft. Lauderdale, FL – July 24-25, 2007
Develop a first-rate property maintenance program and manage various types of risks by learning the specifics of planning, implementing, and monitoring property maintenance operations.

Course Location: NOVA Southeastern University- 3301 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL 33314
Classroom Format: Two days
Tuition: $570 member; $710 nonmember

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS & ASSET MANAGEMENT
Investment Real Estate: Financial Tools (FIN402) Ft. Lauderdale, FL – July 26-27, 2007
Apply the appropriate financial tools you need to meet your owners’ goals and promote the success of the properties you manage.

Course Location: NOVA Southeastern University- 3301 College Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale-Davie, FL 33314
Classroom Format: Two days
Tuition: $570 member; $710 nonmember

Register now at www.irem.org or call
IREM Headquarters at (800)837-0706, ext. 4650
430 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-4090
For local and hotel information, contact
Meridythe Kanaga, CPM, at (407)862-2292, ext. 1004 Email: admin@irem-centralfl.org  

 NEW! IREM/NAR Legal Scan Notes
 Top Risk Issues for Real Estate
 Managers

IREM recently partnered with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) to produce a survey of the current legal environment facing real estate managers. IREM produced the legal scan in direct response to our members’ requests; IREM members cited risk management as one of the four critical issues affecting the real estate management industry today (members named technology, workforce development and business competition as the other three issues).

View the IREM/NAR legal scan and learn about the top risk issues that may affect your business now and in the future. Scan results include real-life case studies to illustrate the impact of key laws and regulations. 

 Coming Soon . . . the IREM
 Foundation’s Annual Auction!

Make plans now to participate in the IREM Foundation’s Annual Auction! The auction will be conducted in online, silent, and live formats this year. Online bidding will begin September 10 and the silent and live formats, along with a closeout reception, will take place at the IREM Fall Business and Governance Meetings, October 16-18, in San Antonio, Texas. Start thinking about ways you can contribute to the success of the IREM Foundation Auction now. Proceeds will benefit the Minority Outreach Scholarship Program and IREM Foundation projects.

Watch for more details about this exciting event! In the meantime, if you have any questions about the auction or would like to make a contribution, contact Kimberly Holmes, IREM Foundation Administrator, at (312)329-6008 or kholmes@irem.org. 

 Share Your Thoughts About
 IREM Seminars

In a continued effort to further meet the educational needs of IREM members, we would appreciate your time in responding to the following short survey about IREM seminars. We would appreciate your input regardless of whether or not you have recently participated in an educational seminar. We estimate this will take about 5-10 minutes to complete.

To access the survey, click on the link below or copy and paste the link into your Internet browser's address field.
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?
p=U26TQY9Y3MMX  

 Got Tech Issues? Call the IREM Tech
 Helpline!

Take advantage of your free, unlimited access to the IREM Tech Helpline. This amazing service is available to all IREM Members and IREM Association Executives in the U.S. and Canada.

Are you wondering what types of questions can you ask the Helpline experts? Here are some examples of commonly asked questions by Helpline users:

• When I start my Windows XP computer, the folder C:/windows/system32 pops up repeatedly every time. What is this, and what should I do to resolve it?
• I can’t seem to download Adobe Acrobat so I can print some documents. What can I do?

To view responses to these questions, visit the IREM Tech Helpline page.
There is no charge for this service and there are no limitations or restrictions on the length of the call or on the number of calls. Call the Tech Helpline today at 866-829-1442, Monday through Friday, 9:00AM to 8:00PM (ET). Or visit www.technologyhelpline.com to chat live with Helpline experts 

 Advance Your IREM Career . . .
 Participate in an IREM National
 Committee

When you become a member of an IREM national committee or board, you can make a real difference and advance your IREM career. Get involved in IREM governance and help us chart the future course of IREM and the real estate management profession. Let us know about your key areas of interest by completing a “Call for Experts” form and submitting it to IREM no later than July 6, 2007. To download the form, visit the Governance, Volunteers and Committees page. 

 IREMJobs.org

Looking for people? Looking for work? Let IREM help. Using customized technology, specifically created for the real estate industry, you can:

• Post job opportunities, track their exposure, and communicate directly with prospective candidates
• Find and use employment tools and resources to assist with human resource challenges and career management and development issues
• Browse available positions by selecting a job category from the list

As always, IREM seeks to tailor its services specifically to the needs of both individual and corporate members.

 Important Links

IREM, Central Florida Chapter #60,
Important Links:

 Just Some IREM Facts…

• 8,671 CPMs
• 2,289 Candidates
• 3,763 ARMs
• 1,764 Associate Members
• 532 AMO Headquarters
• 606 AMO Branches
• 89 Chapters: 81 U.S. and 8 International

 Membership Numbers

CPM
Pending CPM candidates
ARM
AMO HQ
AMO Branch
Associates
Friends
Students
TOTALS

12/1/06
111
45
37
6
17
28
9
1
254

2/1/07
110    
46
37
6
16
31
10
2
258

 IREM Newsletter Information

Published by IREM Chapter 60 Newsletter Committee
Monica Perez, Chairperson

Administrative Office
IREM Chapter 60
2755 Border Lake Road, Suite 101
Apopka, FL 32703-4885
Attn: Meridythe Kanaga, CPM, LCAM

admin@irem-centralfl.org

Tel:  407.862.2292, ext. 1004
Fax: 407.862.1819

©2007 IREM Chapter 60.
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